Guava Tamales with Cheese

Guava tamales with cheese are delicious. The sweetness of guavas and the saltiness of cream cheese form an irresistible combination that works in all kinds of desserts. And, the best part is that you can enjoy these tamales for breakfast, as a snack, and, of course, as a dessert. In order to bring out the intense flavor on guavas, I love adding some cinnamon and ground cloves to the dough. Remember there are several ways of enjoying sweet tamales, and you can have them with a creamy atole, with a cup of coffee or with just about anything else you’d like.MORE +LESS -

Ingredients

1

pack (8 oz.) dried corn husks for tamales

2

cups harina masa (specialty flour for tortillas)

3/4

teaspoon baking powder

1/2

teaspoon ground salt

1/2

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4

teaspoon ground cloves

1/2

cup butter, soft

3/4

cup granulated sugar

1

can (10 oz.) evaporated milk

1

lb. fresh guavas, without seeds and chopped

8

oz. cream cheese, diced in 1/2 inch cubes

Directions

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1

Separate the dried corn husks and put them in a big bowl. Soak the corn husks in enough boiling water to cover them completely. Let the husks soak for at least 30 minutes. Take the husks out of the water and dry them with a kitchen towel.

2

Mix the harina masa with baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon and ground cloves in a small bowl.

3

Whip the butter and sugar with a mixer on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until it’s soft and fluffy. Add the harina masa mix, whipping until it’s completely mixed and gritty. Add the milk, whipping for 1 minute. Then, add the chopped guavas and cover them with the mix.

4

Cover the bottom of a medium-sized pot with 6 corn husks. Fill the pot with 1 1/2” of water.

5

To prepare the tamales, take a big corn husk with the widest part up. Put 3 tablespoons of dough in the middle of the husk, leaving 1/4" at the top and at least 3” free at the bottom.

6

Fill each tamale with 3 cubes of cream cheese.

7

Roll up the tamale by folding it in half twice. Fold the bottom of each tamale upwards. Place the tamales upright in the pot and cover it.

8

Boil the tamales over high heat for 5 minutes. Turn down the fire for 45 to 60 minutes, adding more water if necessary, until the dough becomes fluffy. Remove from the fire and let the tamales cool down for 10 minutes before serving.

9

Enjoy your guava and cheese tamales with a creamy atole or a cup of coffee.

Expert Tips

You can play with the flavor of these sweet tamales by replacing the cream cheese with other kinds of cheese, like manchego cheese, cheddar or fresh cheese.